Time marches on. We cut another notch on the tally stick of time. And
a new year begins. In A.Word.A.Day, we'll begin the new year with new
words. Well, they aren't really that new as you can see from the dates
of their earliest documented use. They just sound new. This week we'll
feature five words that begin with the "new" sound.

numismatics

PRONUNCIATION:

(noo-miz-MAT-iks, -mis-, nyoo-)

MEANING:

noun: The study or collection of currency: coins, notes, and sometimes similar objects, such as medals.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin numisma (coin, currency), from Greek nomisma (current coin,
custom), from nomos (custom). Ultimately from the Indo-European root
nem- (to assign or take), which is also the source for words such as
number, numb, nomad, metronome, astronomy, nemesis, and anomie.
Earliest documented use: 1790.
Also see notaphily.

USAGE:

"Ron Paul was the middle of five boys and the only one to become fascinated
with numismatics. He knew that certain pennies were worth more than their
face value because few of them had been minted."
Joel Achenbach; The Alternative; The Washington Post; Dec 15, 2011.